Summary: The primary safety system (brakes) in my 2007 Toyota Fj cruiser failed twice. The local Toyota dealership utilizing Toyota national resources were unable to isolate the problem. The solution was to completely replace brake system and charge it to me. The lack of availability of parts nationally (backorder) resulted in a completely unreasonable repair timeframe. The vehicle was out of service for 49 days and cost $2503.99 to repair. October 1, 2010 driving in traffic depress brake. The pedal goes completely to floor board. No indication of problems via interior warning lights. October 6, 2010 problem determined to be brake master cylinder. Part ordered (47025-35111 cylinder sub-assembly) through internet site of lakeland Toyota in Florida. The cost of the part is $981.37 and the part is on backorder. Estimated deliver is 10/26/10. October 26, 2010 part arrives and is installed. Multiple warning lights are indicated on interior display. November 1, 2010 Toyota dealership determines the new master cylinder assemblies computer is defective. November 4, 2010 Toyota dealership replaces new master cylinder computer with my old computer. The result is the warning lights turning off and indicates the problem has been fixed. The mechanic take the vehicle on a test drive activates the antilock brakes which results in an unexpected loss of vehicle control. The service manager refuses to return the vehicle claiming it is unsafe to drive. No warning lights are indicated on the vehicle. November 10, 2010 Toyota dealership determined that the master cylinder within the new master cylinder assemblies is faulty. Brake solenoid components are also determined to be faulty and a contributing factor in the loss of vehicle control. Toyota recommends that complete brake assembly (47050-35072 $1823.87) be replaced. This is virtually the entire brake system of the vehicle. This assembly is on backorder as well. November 18, 2010 vehicle repaired and returned.

- Greenville, SC, USA

2007 Toyota Fj cruiser. I have this SUV since Sep., 2007. The only problem I have with this SUV is the ABS brake system, which doesn't work right. When coming to a stop, if there is a metal manhole cover or a pot hole when I apply brake, the ABS activates and stays active (no brake at all) long after I have crossed the hole causing the SUV to roll much further than I would have without ABS. I lost brake completely during this process, and I almost hit the car in front of me on that day. I had to release and re-apply brake to get the brake work again. But this isn't the way how ABS works. There are many other fj owners having the same problem.

- Elmhurst, NY, USA

ABS system failure in 2007 Toyota Fj cruiser. The ABS, vsc, and vsc trac and skidding light came on on or about March 22, 2010. Toyota dealer had trouble finding "problem" albeit they said the vehicle had no brakes or almost no brakes. They replaced the master cylinder assembly and in an unrelated issue replace ildler pulleys. Picked up vehicle that was alleged repaired and driven by technicians to verify it was repaired and brakes worked. Within about 20 miles of driving, brakes became very soft and car was hard to stop in a reasonable distance without veering. Called dealership from vehicle on March 27, 2010 and was told to bring it in Monday, but it was safe to drive unitl Monday. I was told jamming on the brakes may cause the vehicle to skid uncontrolable and that the ABS system and vsc would not cause brake failure. I drove the vehicle approximately 200 miles on a trip to see my mother and father. The vehicle was difficult to stop in a reliable and safe manner.

- Deer Park, TX, USA

Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Fj cruiser, 4WD automatic. 1. events: ABS system failure caused by uneven road surface (pothole, step down, bumpy road) causing a single wheel to momentarily lose traction during braking. 2. the ABS system engages (brake pedal cannot be further depressed, pulsating / clicking noise heard) to stabilize the errant wheel, but does not proceed with stopping the vehicle afterwards, no matter how hard the driver continues to press the brake pedal. The only workaround is for the driver to know to release the brake pedal and re-apply it. 3. Toyota insists that this is normal for the ABS system design and that there is no fix for the problem apart from applying the workaround. I believe otherwise since I have contacted one other Fj cruiser owner who had the same problem, and had his master cylinder / actuator replaced by Toyota under warranty, and this corrected the problem, although at an expense of about $2,000 to the dealership. I faxed a description of this complaint to right Toyota in scottsdale on June 11, 2009, visited the dealership as my odometer rolled over to 36,000 miles an hour after sending the fax, and registered a case number with Toyota customer assistance center on June 12, 2009 describing the issue and how the dealer explained that the problem could not be fixed. I have experienced this issue four times in the last two years. The most recent occurrence was on June 6, 2009, where I was braking for a red light, the vehicle rolled over a 3 inch step down in the pavement, and suddenly I had no brakes, which caused me to roll 20 feet beyond my intended stopping point, into the intersection. Luckily there was nothing in front of me. Releasing and re-applying the brake finally stopped the vehicle, but not until it was potentially too late.

- Cave Creek, AZ, USA